For My Buddy Cruella!

Having been in the antiquing business for several years—it still puzzles me. Why I bring this up, you may ask? Here’s why. Sunday, I took a few belated Valentine cupcakes to my good friend Cruella, who was not having a very good show by many accounts. I thought a few cupcakes would help cheer her up and take her mind off the dreadful show. Later on that afternoon, I was helping my buddy pack –which is no fun at all if you haven’t made any money! She told me that she had been talking to another dealer, who shared with her an article that had been written in the last week AJC regarding the Scott Antique Market. I already knew what Cruella was talking about; I had read the article regarding Eddie Ross, and I read his blog as well—I’m a fan. I’ll admit it; I love a good flea market find & how-to tips. But, basically, Cruella and many of her neighbors were a little dissatisfied with their venue being referred to as a flea market!

Basically, there is a long story with the Scott’s crowd involving the Lakewood flea market folks, quite frankly, I don’t know if you want to hear it. Being an antiques dealer and traveling to Europe to buy, there are many associated costs. For starters, you have your basic expenses, airfare, car rental, gas (try buying petrol in the U.K and you’ll see what I mean—how dare we Americans complain), food, and in my case a hubby who wants to spend my investment money on bacon and cheese toasties, and pints (it’s a good thing I did not go to France –he loves French food), show cost, & shipping. God help you if U.S. Customs inspects your shipments. That can become a huge expense that you, the savvy antique dealer, has the pleasure of paying for yourself. You actually have to pay Customs to search through your container against your will, and then to put it all back together again for you! And of course, depending on the airline agent’s mood, he may charge you for excess luggage. Having done many expense reports, this adds up! So, if you import your wares to the States, the word flea market is not exactly the word you want associated with your imported wares.

Finally, there is also the Scott’s phenomenon where a few of the dealers shop the outside areas for stuff, and immediately take the items inside to sell for more. Pure and simple arbitrage, and I must admit, I’ve done it myself! (Just a few times though, to make up for toasty cheese sandwiches, pints, very bad shepherd’s pie (that I had to buy to feed my help, the hubby) , breakage of goods through transport (very hard to sell smashed Staffordshire plates), over-tipping porters, landlords increasing your rent, and all manners of other unforeseen business phenomenon !!!!

Really, the best advice I can give anyone shopping Scott’s is to get there early, early, early Thursday morning during setup. That is when most of the trading is going on! And for the flea market folks out there, yes, Scott’s has plenty of 1940’s Grandmother’s furniture but it also has a huge, huge variety of real true-blue English, French, Italian, and American antiques! I like to think there’s a little something for everyone!

Ymmm Hot Chocolate!

Bialetti Hot Chocolate Pot

Brrrrrr!!!! It's darn right cold here in Georgia which makes for the perfect time for some good hot chocolate. Yesterday evening, after our evening stroll and freezing to death , I thought this handy dandy chocolate pot would be quite nice. What sweetens the pot even more --- it's on sale! Happy Valentines Hubby!

Sales, Sales, Sales!!!

January is such a boring, depressing, dreadful, cold, ugly month! Before going insanely mad, what would one and could one do without all these fabulous sale items to help take the mind off things. Here are a few sale items that I found that were on my ‘needs’ list for January.


First, my silk Dupioni skirt from J.Crew just arrived in the mail yesterday. The skirt arrived just in time for me to have absolutely nowhere to wear it to. Why did I not have this skirt this past New Years Eve? Oh, probably because it was not marked down this low. FYI—plenty left and you better hurry $49.99 all sales final (wished I would have ordered the 6)! I may have to order another skirt, perhaps in champagne, as soon as the hubby leaves the room. For now, I have the golden cypress—a wee bit big, but that’s ok, I’ll figure it out. Now to find somewhere to wear it to!

Next–one nice thing about moving back to Atlanta is easy access to the Burberry outlet store. Yeah—I got some earmuffs— I had seen them earlier and refused to pay retail for them. So now for 40 something bucks my ears won’t freeze off. Note to self – save up to get Ellie (my chow mix) a Burberry raincoat because she is sick of the jogging in the rain with me and they’re going fast. Most importantly, I think the Burberry outlet store will ship (706) 265-2100! But just in case, the the ones below are from Bloomingdale's although more!!! Off to find more good deals!

Burberry Earmuffs

Searching For Perfect Skin Care Products!

After our dreadful move this past November (the week before Thanksgiving), I felt like something that the cat dragged in. Knowing that the New Year was just around the corner I thought I would get an early start on my maintenance. Plus, it had been a good while since I had last seen my aesthetician. One of the last times we had met, I had been very busy with home maintenance and improvements—painting, plumbing, gardening etc… it seems my focus is either on home stuff or maintenance for myself but hardly ever both at the same time! My hairdresser in Nashville once found paint chips in my hair.


Shortly after my visit with my aesthetician, I was out for my morning jog with Ellie, and Rocky’s (King Charles Spaniel) mom complimented my skin. I was so excited that I told her the whole moving story, which I don’t think she really wanted to hear, but I told her anyway because I was starting to feel like a real person again--yeah! Afterwards, I gave her the names of the products that my aesthetician had suggested—Phyto -C skin care, Serum Fifteen, and Teamine eye complex.






Later while looking through Martha’s January issue, I noticed there were a few products that she says she likes, such as Mario Badescu and Yon-Ka. However, she did add that she is always testing new ones! This has me pondering. When does it ever end? Probably at the fountain of youth, and that does not look like it’s happening in my lifetime!

To report thus far I am happy with the Phyto –C Serum, although on a side note my aesthetician did say that the Teamine eye complex would take eight weeks--I’m counting!

Brrrr It's January!

I was very excited this past Friday when when the UPS guy arrived with my J.Crew cashmere. I should note that I did have permission from Santa himself since he missed my house this year (and it was on sale!)! I got the Eva in Bright papaya, not really my first choice -- I had wanted the Eva in golden cypress but, just my luck, they were all out. I did, however, get the classic crewneck cardigan and shell in the golden cypress. A few weeks earlier I had already picked up a classic cardigan in snow while out doing a little Xmas shopping, but of course they never carry the classic shells in the store. Why is that? Anyway, while getting ready for New Year's Eve, and waiting until the last minute to pull together an outfit, I'm thinking that I would love the cardigan and shell in all the other colors that I can possible get my hands on! So did Santa bring you some J.Crew cashmere?

Visions of Southern Foods, Happy New Year!

Image from Living

Tomorrow is New Years Day and most people are planning their diets and how they’re going to get some of their extra weight off. For me I’m planning just the opposite, sort of. I know, I should be talking about diet food and recipes but after reading through the November issues of Garden & Gun, “The Best Southern Foods—100 things You Simply Must Eat before You Die”, I realized I had a ways to go. It appears most of these places and dishes I had never even heard of. Pigfat Cornbread from Skylight Inn—Ayden, North Carolina—where have I been?

I guess there were a few exceptions, such as the Watershed in Decatur, the Varsity in Atlanta, Fig and Hominy Grill in Charleston, South Carolina—Hominy Grill is one of my all time favorite restaurants! But all in all, I realized I had a ways to go with these dishes and restaurants, although ,the article did say Before You Die, so hopefully I have a little time but one really never knows now, do they? Being back in Atlanta, I figured we should start here and then take it to Macon Georgia, Josephine Alabama, Thibodaux Louisiana, Shreveport Louisiana (Hubby’s birthplace), Owensboro Kentucky, etc….

It’s New Years Eve and I need to go get ready for my date with the hubby—we’re off to the Atlanta Symphony which should be pretty fun –they’re doing showtunes. Oh, FYI—a small lesson that I’ve learned in life–to start keeping all three sizes of my skirts -small, medium, and large. I have no black skirt to wear: one’s to small and the other too big. Go figure!

Rolle & Me!

For some reason, I’m a little reluctant to go see Marley & Me. I’m not quite sure exactly why this is! It may have to do with the fact that Hubby and I also have an aging dog, our thirteen- year-old basset hound, whom we had now for basically as long as we been married.

I did attempt to read Marley & Me and got through several chapters and then quickly set it aside. Even more, as we were picking Ellie up last January from the Humane Society, a nice gentleman from New Jersey pretty much told me how the book ended. Needless to say, I could not bring myself to ever finish reading the book. It’s not that I’m not a dog lover. Rolle was even in our will – don’t get me wrong it’s nothing like Oprah’s golden retrievers, but it’s enough money to get him to his Aunt Susan’s in Missouri or even maybe to his Uncle Watson’s hip downtown Denver loft. My best friend in Missouri is first in line for Rolle—after all, she is a mother of two German sheppards. Plus, Uncle Watson is single, in his early 40’s, and still has commitment issues –he’s wanted a border collie for years but is still dogless!

Rolle in Nashville

So for now, for the Hubby and me, Rolle has taught us, especially when we lose sight of things, that one of life’s little lessons is to take time and sniff the flowers during the cold, rain, or shine! Enough! It’s beautiful here in Georgia, and Ellie and Rolle are ready to go sniff their flowers.

For those of you who are off to see Marley & Me--you may want to take a box of tissues, so I’ve heard! Please report!